1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a user data management device, and more particularly to a user data management device that manages the use status of equipment in a department.
In addition, the present invention relates to a storage medium that stores a control program for the user data management device, and a control method that is performed in the user data management device.
2. Background Information
The network printer technology described below is conventionally used to manage a department.
When an operator orders printing to be performed with a network printer, both print data and the name of the operator are transmitted to the printer, and the name of the operator is displayed on a liquid crystal display panel that forms a portion of the printer. When printing is complete, and the printed document is discharged to the discharge tray, the printed document is detected by a printed document sensor provided on the bottom surface of the discharge tray. This will illuminate an LED in order to inform one of the printer's use status. See, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H06-191128.
However, with the aforementioned conventional technology, when an organization is composed of a plurality of departments that are each composed of a plurality of users, and the organization has a system by which a fee is charged to a department each time a user affiliated with that department uses equipment such as a printer or the like, one problem that occurs is when a user knows the user data (e.g., department code) of another department, and thus can avoid incurring a fee by inappropriately using that department code to use the equipment.
In view of the above, there exists a need for a user data management device, storage medium which stores a control program, and control method which overcome the above mentioned problems in the prior art. This invention addresses this need in the prior art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.